Bonjour de la Suisse: Sleeping in the straw at the top of Europe

You would think we have had our fill of Interlaken and the amazing Berner Oberland area of Switzerland. After all, we had been there just a couple weeks before. But this is one of our favorite places in Switzerland, and maybe even the world. I could spend a week there and not get board. Not only is there adventure around every corner (this is where, with Chica, we have gone canyoning, mountain biking, paragliding, and ice climbing), but there are also some of the best hiking trails I have ever been on.

On this trip I was determined to do something I've wanted to do ever since we have moved to Europe and that is to sleep in a barn. Doesn't sound glamorous? Well, G didn't think so either but he was a good sport and accompanied me for a night of "Sleeping in the Straw". If you can believe it, the barn was totally booked for Saturday night, so we made a reservation for Sunday night. That left us with the rest of the weekend to explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley and surrounding area.

On Saturday we got in late, but managed to squeeze in a late afternoon hike from Mannlichen to the Kleine Scheidegg train station and caught the last train down to the valley where we were staying. We had an early dinner and got ready for our big day on Sunday - the day we planed to visit the "Top of Europe".

We started at 7am, catching one of the first trains up the mountain. We were headed to the Jungfrau (which means Virgin), the highest peak of a mountain massif of the same name. The other two peaks are the Eiger (or Ogre), and the Mönch (meaning Monk) that sits in between the Jungfrau and the Eiger. (The Monk protects the Virgin from the Ogre). Soon we reached the Jungfraujoch station, the highest train station in Europe.

Up here there is a big complex of tunnels and buildings and even an area you can go out and walk on the snow. Our first stop was an area at the very top called the Sphinx observation terrace which is an amazing 3,571 meters high and has stunning views. We also checked out the "Ice Palace", a permanent exhibit of ice sculptures inside the glacier.

At the adventure center you can take a helicopter tour, rent skis (all year round), ride on a dog sled, hike, go on a zip line (which I was amped to do, but it was closed due to maintenance work), and even golf! G tried his hand at making a hole in one which would have earned him a 100,000 CHF (about $80,000) watch, but he was a tad off. We ended up walking around the snow covered trails that looked down to the Konkordiaplatz, (the large flat area of snow and ice lying just to the south of the Jungfrau) the Aletsch Glacier, as well as the surrounding mountains. It was stunning. We were having a great time, but it was also really cold and I was starting to feel the effects of altitude sickness (not too bad, but after two hours it was time to head down).

That afternoon we took our backpacks up to the tiny mountain town of Gimmelwald where we dropped our stuff off at the barn. We didn't stick around for long because we were eager to take a 4 hour hike from the Birg lift station, past a little lake, up to the Brunli ridge, and under the Sprutz waterfall before heading back down to Gimmelwald. The hike was amazing. We started in a rocky plateau and descended down past grazing cows and sheep. I loved listening to their bells along the way. We barely saw anyone else along the trail, even when we descended through some small farms. The highlight of the hike was the Brunli ridge and making it to the peak where we found a metal box with a plastic covered register inside where we jotted down our names along with other hikers from all over the world who had done the same. What an amazing experience!

We descended into the village of Gimmelwald and we were tired and hungry. We soon discovered that the only restaurant in town was closed for renovations, so our only option was to eat at the hostel. Our choice for dinner was pizza or fondue. We went for the pizza. After dinner we headed back to the barn. Now this is a real working barn in the winter, but in the summer, when the cows are up grazing in the mountains, the farmer rents it out to crazy people like us. For 24 CHF (about $20) you get a spot on the straw and your pick from a stack of blankets and a real farm breakfast. We brought our own sleep sacs so we were cozy and warm in the barn. Because it was sold out the night before, we figured we would have company (there was space for about 18 people or so). But to our surprise (well, to my surprise, G figured Sunday wouldn't be too popular) we were the only ones!! Now that is value for your money.

I can't say it was the most comfortable place I've ever slept, but it was a unique experience I will not soon forget. Unfortunately, G had to catch the first gondola down the mountain (at 6:30am) to make the 4 hour journey back to Geneva to go to work. I stayed and folded all the blankets and had breakfast by myself in the barn. Before I left town I walked around taking a few pictures here and there. It was really cool being the only tourist in town, smiling good morning to the local towns folks.

Before heading back to Geneva I decided to head to the town of Ballenberg to check out the Swiss Open-Air Folk Museum. It s a sprawling complex of more than 100 original century-old buildings from all over Switzerland, historical gardens and fields, demonstrations of typical crafts, and over 250 native farmyard animals. It really is a taste of rural life from bygone days. I loved it! I was there for over four hours and I was really rushing to get through it all. All in all it was a great weekend!